Time to lead

In the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma, Hardik will lead India in the three-match T20Is series in New Zealand. If Rohit is already leading in Tests and ODIs, there is no harm in identifying a new T20I captain, and if his name is Hardik Pandya, so be it. Because the volume of cricket is such, that for one player to play all three formats of the game is never going to be easy.After the semifinal loss to England, where skipper Jos Butller and opener Alex Hales utilised their extensive experience of playing in the BBL to hand India a 10-wicket drubbing, there were calls for the BCCI to allow its players to participate in different T20 leagues around the globe. However, Shastri and former India pacer Zaheer Khan don’t agree.’ ‘I feel there are a lot of processes in place. It’s not about playing only franchise cricket, it’s about going to different countries to learn things. ‘That is very important and BCCI with its shadow tours, that process is well in place. I don’t see any other reason for players to go and play in a particular tournament,’ Zaheer said.Shastri said ‘there is enough domestic cricket for all these players to get absorbed in the system and get an opportunity.Plus you get India A tours and all other tours where at one given time two Indian teams will be playing in the future and the opportunity will come for the other lot to go somewhere else whilst’